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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.

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: prune · jam · toast · lash · charge · rush · fall · degree

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fall — to drop
  13. charge — a price
  14. degree — an amount
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. degree — temperature
  24. prune — to trim

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