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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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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: straw · bay · prune · swing · bound · lash · rest · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. net — in sport
  7. swing — music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bound — certain
  11. rest — a break
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bound — tied together
  20. net — for catching
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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