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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — in control
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — a division
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fine — all right
  24. charge — electricity

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