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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: prune · arm · lie · perch · branch · club · lash · pop

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. club — for dancing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lie — to recline
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pop — soda
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. club — a group
  13. pop — music
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. branch — a division
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — for golf
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pop — to visit

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