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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pop — soda
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — clever
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — music
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. file — a document
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. spell — letters
  23. rest — a break
  24. file — a tool

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