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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: safe · spell · charge · prune · staff · wind · file · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. file — a line of people
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a document
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. staff — a stick
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — of the year
  13. file — a tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spell — magic
  18. charge — electricity
  19. season — in sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. wind — to turn a key

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