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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: squash · lean · cell · bay · lie · prune · branch · mouse

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — to recline
  7. squash — the sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lean — thin
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lean — to bend
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cell — a phone
  23. branch — of a bank
  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