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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. charge — a price
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wake — a trail
  17. charge — electricity
  18. content — the amount
  19. prune — to trim
  20. content — happy
  21. fork — in a road
  22. prune — to trim
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wound — an injury

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