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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.

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: prune · wound · ruler · bat · rash · charge · lie · ground

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rash — a series
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ground — a position
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bat — the animal

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