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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bank — of a river
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bore — to drill
  14. suit — in cards
  15. craft — boats
  16. bore — to tire
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bank — for money
  20. fall — the season
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bank — for money
  24. charge — in control

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