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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. charge — a price
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mark — a trace
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hand — in cards
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mark — a grade
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. spell — magic
  24. safe — out of danger

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