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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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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: bound · game · prune · ball · deal · wake · lie · lash

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — certain
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ball — a great time
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lie — to recline
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bound — tied together
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. deal — to handle
  22. game — a match
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ball — a round shape

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