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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tube — the underground
  11. drill — army training
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. shower — to wash
  14. board — a committee
  15. tube — a container
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. snap — to click
  18. board — to get on
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. charge — electricity
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. charge — in control
  24. shower — rain

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