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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — a stick
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. spring — of water
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. charge — a price
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. land — ground
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bat — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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