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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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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: wave · kid · prune · lean · present · charge · kick · lie

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. kid — child
  6. present — the time now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kid — to tease
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kick — in football
  14. charge — in control
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lean — thin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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