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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bay · trunk · foot · pass · wound · charge · prune · game

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. game — wild animals
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. charge — electricity
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pass — a permit
  17. game — a match
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. charge — in control
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — the fruit

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