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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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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 · rock · calf · rash · racket · temple · wind · charge

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. charge — a price
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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