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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: stand · lash · lie · prune · bound · mouse · swing · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bound — tied together
  3. prune — to trim
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. swing — music
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stand — on your feet

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