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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · charge · chair · squash · snap · branch · current · board

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — electricity
  3. key — for a lock
  4. current — of water
  5. squash — the sport
  6. key — in music
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. chair — a leader
  15. board — a committee
  16. charge — a price
  17. key — the most important part
  18. charge — in control
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. board — a flat piece

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