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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 116 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — a grade
  7. key — the most important part
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. branch — a division
  12. mark — a trace
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rock — music
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bound — obliged
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fan — a supporter

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