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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 · lie · chip · rock · bowl · bulb · bore · branch

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. charge — in control
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. branch — a division
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rock — music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — a price
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — to eat
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lie — an untruth

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