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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: fall · trunk · craft · bank · pass · bulb · sharp · net

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — in sport
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bank — for money
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. net — after costs
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. sharp — clever
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. fall — the season
  22. craft — boats
  23. bank — of a river
  24. craft — a handicraft

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