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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: bound · craft · row · prune · snap · wake · charge · cue

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bound — tied together
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. charge — a price
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — in control
  11. wake — a trail
  12. snap — to click
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — obliged
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. craft — boats
  18. bound — certain
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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