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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · board · prune · wound · chair · mouse · charge · net

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. charge — a price
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. charge — in control
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. net — for catching
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — a committee

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