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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. branch — a division
  3. charge — in control
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. charge — electricity
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. charge — a price
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. snap — to click
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fall — to drop
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wind — moving air
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. fall — the season
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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