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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 120 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: rush · prune · calf · rash · bound · leaves · charge · track

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — hasty
  4. track — a song
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — a series
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rush — hurry
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — tied together
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bound — certain
  23. charge — a price
  24. calf — a young animal

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