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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 116 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: charge · prune · bass · ruler · wound · mine · kid · can

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. kid — child
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kid — to tease
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. charge — a price
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — for digging
  20. can — a tin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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