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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rock — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. charge — in control
  7. club — for golf
  8. drill — army training
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rock — a stone
  20. last — final
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — a group
  23. kick — in football
  24. ruler — a monarch

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