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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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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: band · prune · suit · lie · mine · date · wound · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. band — a music group
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — clothes
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a ring
  16. charge — electricity
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mine — for digging
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — to fit
  24. date — on the calendar

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