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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. last — to go on
  4. cap — a hat
  5. tear — to rip
  6. last — finally
  7. club — a group
  8. dip — to sink
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — final
  11. club — for golf
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — a break
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tear — from crying
  16. charge — a price
  17. rest — what's left
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. charge — electricity
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — a lid
  24. tear — from crying

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