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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: rock · craft · charge · branch · patient · straw · spell · object

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rock — a stone
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. craft — boats
  9. branch — a division
  10. spell — letters
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — magic
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rock — music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. patient — a sick person

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