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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 116 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. charge — in control
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. charge — a price
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. land — to come down
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. kick — in football
  13. branch — a division
  14. land — a country
  15. staff — employees
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. land — ground
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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