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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: charge · rest · roll · prune · tube · wake · sharp · ground

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — in control
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. roll — a cake
  15. charge — a price
  16. ground — a position
  17. roll — a list
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — clever
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rest — a break

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