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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.

Make a worksheet

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: prune · object · charge · coach · mine · lash · leaves · arm

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — a price
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. charge — in control
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. object — an aim
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. object — to protest
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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