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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 120 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.

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: bear · cabinet · ruler · bass · branch · bat · hide · charge

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bass — low music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. charge — electricity
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. charge — a price
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — in control
  24. bat — the animal

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