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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: chest · roll · bay · prune · lash · club · object · net

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. club — for golf
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — in sport
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. chest — of your body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. chest — a box
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. roll — a list
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. club — a group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — to protest

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