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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chest — a box
  10. charge — a price
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chest — of your body

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