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

Word bank: lash · prune · bound · net · file · cap

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bound — certain
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. file — a document
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bound — obliged
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a hat
  14. file — a tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. file — a line of people
  17. net — after costs
  18. lash — an eyelash

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