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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 116 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.

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 · can · root · lean · rule · cold · mark · charge

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lean — thin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. charge — a price
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rule — government
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — in control
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cold — not warm
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — a law

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