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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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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: nail · field · charge · spell · lash · temple · staff · prune

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. charge — in control
  3. staff — employees
  4. spell — magic
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — a price
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — a stick
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — a subject
  23. spell — a short time
  24. nail — for a hammer

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