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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · land · lie · pit · charge · prune · fan · spell

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. land — to come down
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. charge — a price
  10. land — ground
  11. spell — magic
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. land — a country
  14. charge — in control
  15. lie — to recline
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pit — in a race
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — a hole
  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