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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: lean · hide · charge · shower · prune · rock · bat · wound

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. charge — in control
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. shower — rain
  7. rock — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. bat — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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