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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — in cards
  4. shower — rain
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cell — in biology
  7. hand — help
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — in control
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. shower — to wash
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. charge — a price
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — a phone
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rush — hurry

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