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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: safe · wind · cap · firm · charge · squash · fan · prune

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — to crush
  6. charge — in control
  7. cap — of ice
  8. firm — decided
  9. wind — moving air
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. firm — a company
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — steady
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — electricity

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