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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 120 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: shower · staff · charge · key · lie · file · prune · stand

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — to recline
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. charge — a price
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — the most important part
  12. file — a line of people
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. file — a document
  15. charge — electricity
  16. shower — rain
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. shower — to wash
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — to bear
  24. charge — in control

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