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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. branch — a division
  5. shower — rain
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — in control
  9. craft — boats
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bowl — a dish

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