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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: prune · mouse · bowl · charge · lash · degree · cell · bass

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. charge — a price
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. degree — an amount
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bass — low music
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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