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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pop — music
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. branch — a division
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rush — to hurry

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