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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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468
Word bank
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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rest — a break
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pit — in a race
  15. charge — electricity
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. charge — a price
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — to crush
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. charge — in control

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