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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
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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: charge · lie · pop · lean · clip · prune · safe · chair

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chair — a leader
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. clip — a video
  24. prune — to trim

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