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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fine — all right
  5. last — to go on
  6. suit — clothes
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mug — a face
  11. charge — in control
  12. branch — a division
  13. suit — to fit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mug — a cup
  18. club — for golf
  19. snap — to click
  20. club — for dancing
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. last — finally
  24. mug — to rob

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