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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: wake · cabinet · land · charge · season · sharp · prune · band

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. band — a music group
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — a trail
  7. season — of the year
  8. land — to come down
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. land — ground
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. band — a ring
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — a country
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. charge — a price
  20. prune — to trim
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. charge — electricity

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