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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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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: firm · lean · pitcher · prune · pitch · lash · clip · bay

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. clip — for paper
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. firm — decided
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. firm — a company
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — thin
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. clip — a video
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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