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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rush — hurry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fork — in a road
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wax — to grow
  24. charge — electricity

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