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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: lean · charge · ball · sharp · suit · prune · mine · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to bend
  3. charge — in control
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. ball — a dance
  6. sharp — clever
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lean — thin

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