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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.

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 · lean · degree · chip · lash · rash · prune · clip

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. clip — a video
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rash — a series
  21. chip — for betting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. degree — an amount

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