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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. club — for dancing
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — low music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. club — a group
  20. bark — to shout
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for golf
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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