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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.

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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: lie · prune · charge · fan · bank · spring · stem · hand

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — in cards
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spring — the season
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spring — of water
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — a price
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — in control

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