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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bank — of a river
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — for sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. charge — in control
  14. bound — tied together
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. branch — a division
  17. face — to point toward
  18. field — farmland
  19. bank — for money
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to sink
  22. field — a subject
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. branch — of a bank

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