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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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 — the fruit
  2. tube — a container
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — a song
  8. net — after costs
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. charge — a price
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. track — a path
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. track — to keep track
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — the underground
  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