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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. charge — in control
  3. scale — size or range
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — a price
  6. craft — a skill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. shower — to wash
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. craft — boats
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — a division
  16. scale — in music
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. face — to confront
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. face — part of the head
  21. shower — rain
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fan — a supporter

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