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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: fan · charge · bore · cabinet · straw · mug · prune · pit

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. charge — a price
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mug — a face
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mug — to rob
  21. charge — in control
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — a hole

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