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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. charge — in control
  7. root — of a plant
  8. file — a line of people
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. charge — a price
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. root — the cause
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. file — a tool
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. root — of a word
  23. branch — a division
  24. file — a document

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