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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 · charge · tear · firm · jam · wake · bank · face

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — a price
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — decided
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. face — to confront
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. firm — steady
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — part of the head
  11. charge — in control
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — of a river
  16. tear — to rip
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wake — a trail
  20. prune — to trim
  21. firm — a company
  22. tear — from crying
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. face — to point toward

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