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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fine — all right
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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