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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — a series
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spring — the season
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. spring — of water
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. rash — hasty
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wound — an injury
  16. squash — the sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. branch — a division

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