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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. branch — a division
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. firm — decided
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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