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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. drill — a practice
  5. charge — in control
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. drill — army training
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — a series
  16. charge — a price
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stand — to bear
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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