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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: lie · saw · sharp · mouse · ground · charge · prune · rush

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ground — the earth
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rush — hurry
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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