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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. charge — in control
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bark — to shout
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. charge — electricity
  9. clip — for paper
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. charge — a price
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. clip — to cut
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. clip — a video
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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