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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rash — a series
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chest — a box
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — a price
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lie — to recline
  20. charge — in control
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — on the skin

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