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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: fine · prune · bat · lash · board · lean · present · chair

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. present — the time now
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. board — a committee
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. board — to get on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. present — there
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lean — thin
  18. fine — high quality
  19. present — a gift
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bat — the animal

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