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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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468
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: cell · charge · branch · cold · bowl · safe · spell · scale

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. spell — magic
  7. cell — a phone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — in control
  16. scale — in music
  17. spell — letters
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cell — in biology
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bowl — a football final

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