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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: lie · prune · straw · deal · club · lash · key · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — for dancing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. club — for golf
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — to recline
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. key — in music
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. key — the most important part
  23. club — a group
  24. straw — dry grass

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