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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: arm · wave · charge · branch · cell · mug · mouse · bowl

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mug — a face
  14. charge — in control
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — a division
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cell — in biology

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