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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 · cell · mug · lash · mouse · charge · lie · object

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mug — a cup
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a face
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — a price
  15. object — an aim
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mug — to rob
  20. object — to protest
  21. cell — in biology
  22. object — a thing
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. charge — in control

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