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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. snap — to click
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. branch — a division
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — electricity
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. season — of the year
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. season — in sport
  24. bat — the animal

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