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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: club · hand · band · prune · rule · lash · charge · current

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — happening now
  6. charge — in control
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. club — for golf
  9. band — a ring
  10. charge — electricity
  11. current — of water
  12. club — a group
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rule — government
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. current — electric
  21. club — for dancing
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. prune — to trim

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