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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pop — soda
  3. key — for a lock
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rash — hasty
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mug — a face
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. charge — a price
  12. mug — to rob
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. branch — a division
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pop — to visit
  19. key — the most important part
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rash — a series
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — music
  24. lash — to lash out

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