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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.

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 · bat · prune · cabinet · calf · fine · snap · land

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. charge — a price
  9. land — a country
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fine — all right
  13. prune — to trim
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. charge — in control
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. snap — to click
  24. bat — the animal

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