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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.

Words on the sheet
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: branch · hide · charge · mouse · fine · club · lie · wound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fine — all right
  3. club — for golf
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — a division
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — a price
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. charge — in control
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. club — a group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fine — high quality

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