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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. charge — in control
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. charge — a price
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wake — a trail
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — the vegetable

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