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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: fork · pop · charge · prune · saw · row · bound · lie

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pop — to visit
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pop — music
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fork — in a road
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pop — soda
  20. charge — a price
  21. lie — to recline
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fork — to eat with

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