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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 116 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: ground · file · sharp · prune · charge · nail · lie · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — in control
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. swing — to play on
  11. charge — a price
  12. swing — in golf
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. file — a tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. file — a document
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — a position
  24. file — a line of people

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