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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. charge — electricity
  5. branch — a division
  6. charge — a price
  7. pop — soda
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pop — to visit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — thin
  13. pop — music
  14. swing — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. swing — in golf
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  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