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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · prune · fine · lash · mate · bank · bound · net

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mate — a partner
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fine — all right
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. net — after costs
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. net — in sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. net — for catching
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com