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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. swing — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. charge — a price
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. snap — to click
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. drill — army training
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — in control

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