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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. deal — to handle
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. charge — a price
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. face — part of the head
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — electricity
  12. band — a music group
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. face — to confront
  15. charge — in control
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. band — a ring
  19. rush — hurry
  20. date — the fruit
  21. face — to point toward
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. band — a rubber band

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