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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. current — of water
  15. lie — to recline
  16. current — electric
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. snap — to click
  22. tear — from crying
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — happening now

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