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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. branch — a division
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rest — what's left
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mine — for digging
  10. charge — in control
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rest — a break
  14. spell — magic
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. rest — what's left

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