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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. charge — in control
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. spell — magic
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wind — moving air
  15. charge — electricity
  16. branch — a division
  17. charge — a price
  18. spell — letters
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — to drill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. trunk — of a car

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