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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: mug · rash · suit · prune · charge · cabinet · wake · bowl

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — a face
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — a trail
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — a price
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. charge — in control
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. charge — electricity
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cabinet — ministers

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