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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: bank · safe · cell · mine · date · charge · leaves · prune

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. prune — to trim
  3. charge — electricity
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. charge — in control
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — for money
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bank — of a river
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bank — for money
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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