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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · calf · leaves · tube · mine · charge · pass · prune

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. charge — electricity
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. charge — in control
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — a container
  12. charge — a price
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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