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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. branch — a division
  3. charge — a price
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cap — a hat
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rash — hasty
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lean — to bend
  11. charge — in control
  12. lean — thin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rash — a series
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rash — on the skin

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