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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — to be able to
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. file — a tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. file — a document
  10. sharp — clever
  11. clip — for paper
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — a division
  18. clip — a video
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. charge — a price
  22. clip — to cut
  23. file — a line of people
  24. calf — of the leg

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