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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. charge — a price
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ball — a dance
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — in cards
  8. snap — to click
  9. suit — to fit
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. craft — a skill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bass — the fish
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. charge — in control

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