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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — a division
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. clip — a video
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bowl — a football final

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