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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · racket · squash · safe · wound · bank · prune · charge

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. squash — to crush
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bank — for money
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bear — the animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — in control
  24. racket — a loud noise

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