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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: lash · bank · firm · stand · spell · wound · swing · prune

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — music
  8. firm — a company
  9. prune — to trim
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. spell — magic
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spell — letters
  22. bank — of a river
  23. firm — decided
  24. lash — to lash out

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