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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — a division
  4. fine — all right
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. face — to point toward
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. face — to confront
  10. charge — electricity
  11. file — a line of people
  12. charge — a price
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to click
  18. file — a document
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. file — a tool

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