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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — a price
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hand — help
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — a division
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — in control
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bank — for money

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