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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. bound — certain
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kid — child
  6. bound — obliged
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — a price
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mug — to rob
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — in control
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — a division
  17. kid — to tease
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a face
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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