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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. branch — a division
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spring — a coil
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. charge — a price
  8. spring — the season
  9. stock — goods
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stock — shares
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — for golf
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — a group
  19. key — in music
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spring — of water
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. key — for a lock
  24. charge — in control

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