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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: spring · charge · lash · prune · board · rule · bore · mug

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. charge — in control
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spring — the season
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a committee
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. charge — a price
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a face
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rule — government
  18. spring — of water
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — a law

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