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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · hide · lash · swing · charge · row · prune · fan

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. prune — to trim
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. swing — music
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — in golf
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — a price
  21. row — to paddle
  22. charge — in control
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lie — an untruth

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