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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 116 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: row · charge · lean · prune · face · court · bank · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — of a king
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. row — a line
  11. court — of law
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bank — for money
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lean — thin
  16. charge — a price
  17. row — to paddle
  18. charge — in control
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — to bend
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. face — to point toward

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