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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. charge — in control
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — a division

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