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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. branch — a division
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. charge — electricity
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — in control
  15. wind — moving air
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. wind — moving air

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