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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. charge — a price
  11. pop — to visit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. deal — to handle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — a division
  17. toast — bread
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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