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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: swing · mouse · pound · deal · prune · last · lash · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — to go on
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — to play on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. last — finally
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. last — final
  23. swing — music
  24. deal — an agreement

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