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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 116 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cell — a phone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cell — in biology
  14. charge — in control
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. charge — a price
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wave — of the sea

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