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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: bark · key · charge · chest · branch · bore · swing · stick

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. charge — a price
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — a division
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. key — in music
  22. swing — music
  23. charge — in control
  24. bore — to tire

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