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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: prune · content · snap · arm · stick · charge · fan · pound

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. content — happy
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. content — the amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — a weight
  11. charge — a price
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. snap — to click
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — the fruit

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