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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rash — a series
  5. kid — to tease
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — the fruit
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kid — child
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — in control
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. branch — a division
  24. charge — a price

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