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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. charge — a price
  5. branch — a division
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kick — in football
  13. charge — in control
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fall — the season
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rush — to hurry

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