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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. tear — from crying
  8. current — electric
  9. charge — in control
  10. current — happening now
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. current — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — a permit
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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