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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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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: present · land · charge · prune · squash · mine · cell · vault

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. present — there
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cell — a phone
  11. vault — a safe
  12. land — a country
  13. present — a gift
  14. charge — a price
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. land — ground
  17. charge — in control
  18. prune — to trim
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. land — to come down
  21. present — the time now
  22. mine — for digging
  23. charge — electricity
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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