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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: toast · saw · mug · arm · net · prune · bound · charge

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — to rob
  3. saw — the tool
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bound — tied together
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — in control
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mug — a face
  13. toast — bread
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. net — after costs
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bound — certain
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. charge — a price
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. charge — electricity
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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