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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: wind · lash · saw · firm · prune · track · charge · fork

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — steady
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wind — moving air
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a song
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. firm — decided
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wind — moving air

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