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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 · court · branch · board · rest · last · hide · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. last — to go on
  7. branch — a division
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. charge — in control
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. charge — a price
  18. rest — a break
  19. charge — electricity
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. last — finally
  22. court — for sport
  23. last — final
  24. branch — of a bank

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