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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — to trim
  3. charge — a price
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. charge — in control
  7. file — a line of people
  8. snap — to click
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a document
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spell — magic
  14. rock — a stone
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spell — letters
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. file — a tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. spell — a short time

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