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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: prune · lean · content · racket · sharp · leaves · charge · shower

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. charge — in control
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. content — happy
  15. prune — to trim
  16. sharp — clever
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. content — the amount

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