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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. content — the amount
  5. cap — a lid
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. object — a thing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. content — happy
  18. object — an aim
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — a division
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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