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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — a price
  6. swing — to play on
  7. board — a committee
  8. charge — electricity
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. swing — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. branch — a division
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — in golf
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — to get on
  24. charge — in control

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