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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · pitcher · branch · object · lash · shower · cold · charge

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. branch — a division
  3. object — a thing
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cold — not warm
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. object — an aim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. object — to protest
  24. charge — in control

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