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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. swing — to play on
  10. charge — electricity
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cell — a phone
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hand — help
  18. branch — a division
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. charge — in control
  24. fall — the season

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