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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: hand · prune · tube · tear · mate · press · charge · craft

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — a container
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — to breed
  7. charge — electricity
  8. craft — boats
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mate — a friend
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. hand — in cards
  19. press — newspapers
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — help
  24. prune — the fruit

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