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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 124 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — happening now
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. current — electric
  9. band — a music group
  10. charge — in control
  11. clip — to cut
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. charge — a price
  16. clip — a video
  17. branch — a division
  18. clip — for paper
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. current — of water
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. deal — to handle

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