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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: charge · tear · wound · temple · ruler · jam · branch · deal

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wound — an injury
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — a division
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. charge — a price
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tear — from crying
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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