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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. branch — a division
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. shower — to wash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — in control
  8. content — happy
  9. charge — a price
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cell — a phone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. shower — rain
  21. cell — in biology
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. content — the amount

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