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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hand — help
  9. charge — in control
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — a face
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fall — the season
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lean — thin
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hand — in cards
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hand — part of the body

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