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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: prune · wave · stick · tear · charge · bank · lie · pass

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tear — to rip
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tear — from crying
  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