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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. charge — in control
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rest — a break
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rest — what's left
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. rule — government
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. branch — a division
  21. kick — in football
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rule — a law
  24. kick — with a leg

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