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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. clip — for paper
  5. branch — a division
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. charge — in control
  11. clip — a video
  12. club — a group
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. charge — a price
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fall — the season
  20. club — for dancing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — to cut
  23. club — for golf
  24. fall — to drop

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