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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: charge · arm · coach · jam · fall · prune · staff · clip

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. staff — a stick
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. clip — to cut
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. charge — in control
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. staff — employees
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. prune — to trim
  21. clip — a video
  22. charge — a price
  23. fall — the season
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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