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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: charge · sharp · mine · cue · branch · content · craft · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — a division
  5. content — happy
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. sharp — clever
  9. charge — a price
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — for pool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. content — the amount
  18. charge — in control
  19. cue — a hint
  20. craft — boats
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cue — a signal

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