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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.

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: cell · tube · bound · charge · mouse · prune · craft · cabinet

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — boats
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bound — certain
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cell — a phone
  21. craft — a skill
  22. charge — in control
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — the fruit

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