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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · charge · mine · rock · prune · lie · rash · perch

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. content — the amount
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — happy
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — in control
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. charge — electricity
  24. prune — to trim

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