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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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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: wind · temple · prune · lean · charge · mine · vault · toast

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. charge — in control
  5. vault — a safe
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — electricity
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lean — thin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. charge — a price
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lean — to bend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — bread

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