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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — a stone
  5. charge — in control
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — a country
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. land — to come down
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. charge — a price
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. land — ground
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. straw — dry grass

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