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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: lie · present · kid · mouse · prune · bass · swing · trunk

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. prune — to trim
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. kid — child
  10. swing — music
  11. kid — to tease
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — low music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bass — the fish

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