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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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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: branch · pop · spell · straw · staff · charge

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — electricity
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — a division
  8. staff — a stick
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — in control
  13. staff — employees
  14. pop — to visit
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. charge — a price
  17. spell — letters
  18. pop — music

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