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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: mug · hide · band · cold · prune · mine · cue · charge

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — a cup
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cold — an illness
  6. band — a music group
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cue — a hint
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. band — a ring
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mug — a face
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — electricity
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mug — to rob

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