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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 · prune · key · lash · saw · wound · straw · lean

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. band — a music group
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lean — to bend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — thin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — in music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wound — an injury
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. band — a ring

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