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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. charge — in control
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — electricity
  14. branch — a division
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. charge — a price
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — a friend

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