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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · charge · prune · temple · file · kid · pitcher · bass

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — low music
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. file — a line of people
  11. charge — in control
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. file — a document
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — to trim
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kid — child
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — a place of worship

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