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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: band · lie · bay · saw · stem · prune · mug · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mug — a face
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lie — to recline
  14. prune — to trim
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. band — a ring
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. band — a music group
  23. prune — to trim
  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