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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. last — finally
  8. club — for golf
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. club — a group
  14. last — final
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. last — to go on
  21. wake — a trail
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lash — to lash out

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