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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: prune · content · bay · key · charge · season · hide · last

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. season — of the year
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — to go on
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. content — happy
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. content — the amount
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. last — final
  19. charge — electricity
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. season — in sport
  22. key — the most important part
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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