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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cell — a phone
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. craft — boats
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bound — certain
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mouse — for a computer

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