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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. race — humankind
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. track — a path
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. charge — in control
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. charge — electricity
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. perch — the fish
  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