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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.

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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: prune · lash · fan · lean · perch · bat · charge · rule

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — to bend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — government
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lean — thin
  24. charge — electricity

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