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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: charge · trunk · safe · racket · prune · snap · object · band

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. object — to protest
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. band — a music group
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a ring
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. charge — a price

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