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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. shower — to wash
  6. charge — a price
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — happy
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. charge — in control
  17. mate — a partner
  18. shower — rain
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mate — to breed
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. board — a committee

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