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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 116 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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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 · tear · pit · branch · snap · stick · last · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — a price
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pit — a hole
  7. last — finally
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — in control
  13. branch — a division
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. last — final
  17. snap — to click
  18. charge — electricity
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. last — to go on

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