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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: clip · straw · toast · charge · cell · branch · snap · pit

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — electricity
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pit — a hole
  8. snap — to click
  9. clip — to cut
  10. toast — bread
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. clip — a video
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. branch — a division
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. clip — for paper

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