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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.

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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stock — shares
  5. mate — to breed
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. charge — a price
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stock — goods
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mate — a partner
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chest — a box
  22. charge — in control
  23. rush — hurry
  24. branch — a division

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