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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mate — to breed
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. charge — a price
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cap — a hat
  11. charge — electricity
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — a division
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — in music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. toast — the most admired

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