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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: bound · straw · lie · prune · press · sharp · lash · track

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. press — to push
  3. bound — tied together
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bound — certain
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. track — a song
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. prune — to trim
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. track — a path
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. prune — to trim
  23. press — a publisher
  24. sharp — with an edge

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