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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 120 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: prune · bound · staff · hide · nail · lash · fine · mine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. bound — certain
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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