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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. last — final
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cap — a lid
  7. branch — a division
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. object — an aim
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cold — not warm
  14. deal — to handle
  15. object — a thing
  16. cap — a hat
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — to protest
  20. charge — in control
  21. last — finally
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. last — to go on
  24. ruler — a monarch

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