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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bass — low music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lie — to recline
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chip — to eat
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. craft — boats
  13. charge — in control
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bass — the fish
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — a price
  22. branch — a division
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chip — for betting

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