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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. charge — a price
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — a break
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wake — a trail
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. land — ground
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. branch — a division
  22. charge — in control
  23. land — to come down
  24. wake — before a funeral

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