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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 · charge · bear · pit · mug · saw · snap · wound

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mug — a face
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — electricity
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pit — a hole
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. branch — a division
  19. wound — an injury
  20. snap — to click
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. mug — to rob

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