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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. charge — in control
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mate — a friend
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — to breed
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — the season
  19. content — happy
  20. fall — to drop
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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