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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.

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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: snap · charge · firm · bark · sharp · branch · kid · capital

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. charge — a price
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. firm — decided
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. charge — in control
  7. branch — a division
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. capital — a city
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kid — to tease
  13. snap — to click
  14. capital — money
  15. bark — to shout
  16. kid — child
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. firm — a company
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. firm — steady
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. branch — of a tree

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