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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: mine · band · fan · hide · pit · bay · prune · lash

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. band — a music group
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a ring
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a hole

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