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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — a price
  6. fine — all right
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — the season
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mug — to rob
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. charge — electricity
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a face
  19. charge — in control
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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