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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. charge — a price
  4. fine — high quality
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mug — a face
  9. branch — a division
  10. row — a line
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hand — in cards
  17. row — to paddle
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. present — a gift
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. present — there
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — the time now

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