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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 120 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: cabinet · nail · prune · bear · charge · squash · dip · rash

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rash — hasty
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. charge — in control
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — a price
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rash — a series

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