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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: mug · foot · track · chair · charge · prune · wake · cell

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. track — a song
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cell — a phone
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. charge — a price
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. charge — in control
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cell — in biology
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chair — a professorship

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