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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · snap · coach · key · branch · content

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — the most important part
  8. content — happy
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. charge — a price
  13. snap — to click
  14. charge — in control
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. coach — a trainer

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