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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.

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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 · charge · hand · ruler · mouse · chest · bowl · wind

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. hand — help
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. charge — a price
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hand — in cards

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