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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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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: charge · bound · arm · prune · rash · trunk · stick · rush

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. charge — a price
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rush — hurry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rash — a series
  21. charge — in control
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. prune — to trim
  24. arm — a part of something

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