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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lean — thin
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. charge — in control
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — a list
  8. content — happy
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. branch — a division
  11. content — the amount
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mug — a cup
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. charge — electricity
  20. roll — a cake
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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