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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.

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: rock · wound · stick · lie · bat · bark · rash · prune

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — a stone
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rock — music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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