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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: lash · pitcher · ground · current · date · lie · prune · straw

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — happening now
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — of water
  5. lie — to recline
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. date — the fruit
  9. ground — a position
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — crushed
  22. current — electric
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. prune — to trim

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