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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. kick — in football
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. content — the amount
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bank — of a river
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. content — happy
  21. charge — a price
  22. fork — to eat with
  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