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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 120 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: row · cap · trunk · charge · mouse · arm · stick · prune

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — a line
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — in control
  11. cap — a hat
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cap — of ice
  16. prune — to trim
  17. row — to paddle
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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