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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.

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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: prune · suit · spell · bay · pound · swing · kid · nail

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — clothes
  7. prune — to trim
  8. suit — to fit
  9. kid — to tease
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. spell — magic
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. spell — letters
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — in cards
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kid — child
  24. swing — music

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