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

Word bank: ruler · charge · bay · pit · spell · branch · drill · cell

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. charge — in control
  3. drill — army training
  4. spell — magic
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. charge — a price
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cell — a phone
  12. branch — a division
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pit — a hole
  17. spell — letters
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. charge — electricity
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. branch — of a bank

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