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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bound — obliged
  3. scale — in music
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. scale — size or range
  7. shower — rain
  8. charge — electricity
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. shower — to wash
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mine — for digging
  14. row — a line
  15. last — final
  16. charge — a price
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. last — finally
  20. charge — in control
  21. last — to go on
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. branch — of a tree

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