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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 · cap · saw · firm · hide · rash · branch · cell

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. firm — a company
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. firm — steady
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rash — a series
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — hasty
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cap — a hat
  19. firm — decided
  20. branch — a division
  21. cap — a lid
  22. charge — a price
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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