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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: lean · prune · arm · charge · racket · shower · pit · face

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — rain
  5. charge — electricity
  6. shower — to wash
  7. charge — a price
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pit — a hole
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. charge — in control
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pit — in a race
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lean — thin
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. face — part of the head

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