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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 124 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. branch — a division
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. file — a tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — rain
  7. file — a document
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. shower — to wash
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. can — to be able to
  12. charge — a price
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rule — government
  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