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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. branch — a division
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. prune — to trim
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pop — soda
  7. shower — to wash
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pop — to visit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pop — music
  13. shower — rain
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. date — the fruit
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — in control
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. charge — a price
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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