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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 120 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: branch · charge · straw · fall · bark · kid · ruler · mate

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mate — to breed
  4. branch — a division
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kid — child
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — the season
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fall — to drop
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. charge — in control
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — a price
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. charge — electricity
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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