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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: mark · prune · pound · lie · kick · staff · key · chest

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kick — in football
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chest — a box
  12. staff — employees
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lie — to recline
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mark — to pay attention

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