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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: patient · rock · prune · charge · clip · suit · pop · wave

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — a stone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. charge — in control
  8. clip — a video
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. prune — to trim
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pop — soda
  18. suit — to fit
  19. charge — electricity
  20. clip — to cut
  21. suit — in cards
  22. charge — a price
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pop — to visit

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