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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.

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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: ground · spell · tear · rule · charge · prune · date · file

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. file — a tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — in control
  6. file — a document
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ground — the earth
  9. charge — a price
  10. ground — crushed
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. date — the fruit
  13. file — a line of people
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — government
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rule — a law
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ground — a position
  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