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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. root — of a word
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cell — in biology
  5. charge — a price
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. charge — electricity
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to click
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — of a plant
  16. net — in sport
  17. board — a committee
  18. net — for catching
  19. root — the cause
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — a flat piece
  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