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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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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: wound · branch · can · sharp · bay · ground · charge · fan

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — in control
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. branch — a division
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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