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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: leaves · rash · cap · swing · prune · mine · key · charge

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rash — a series
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. charge — electricity
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — in music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rash — hasty
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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