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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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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 · wind · lean · bay · swing · saw · kick · bear

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wind — moving air
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lean — thin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. swing — music
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kick — in football
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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