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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: prune · bat · sharp · charge · pass · wound · rest · bore

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. charge — a price
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rest — a break
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wound — an injury
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — to tire
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bat — in an idiom

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