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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: wound · prune · mouse · swing · nail · land · mark · charge

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — to play on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. swing — music
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. land — a country
  17. mark — a trace
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. land — ground
  23. wound — an injury
  24. land — to come down

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