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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 120 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: charge · rest · trunk · pound · bowl · nail · safe · prune

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. prune — to trim
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. prune — to trim
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rest — a break
  23. charge — electricity
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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