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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · racket · net · content · arm · prune · rash · lash

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rash — hasty
  6. net — for catching
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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