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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · calf · march · mate · mug · snap · charge · prune

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. mug — a face
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — a price
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mate — a friend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. charge — electricity
  17. march — the month
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — to breed
  20. march — music
  21. charge — in control
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. prune — to trim

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