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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bound · ruler · trunk · chair · charge · key · row · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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 — to trim
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bound — obliged
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — in music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. charge — in control
  12. row — a line
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bound — certain
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — to paddle
  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