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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. swing — music
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — in control
  6. clip — for paper
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. clip — a video
  11. fine — all right
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. charge — electricity
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. charge — a price
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rush — hurry
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ruler — for measuring

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