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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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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 · mark · cell · prune · key · tear · calf · bear

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cell — a phone
  3. charge — in control
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cell — in biology
  19. charge — a price
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. key — in music
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. key — for a lock

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