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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: chest · charge · branch · hand · bear · can · roll · toast

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — help
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chest — a box
  11. can — a tin
  12. toast — bread
  13. can — to be able to
  14. charge — in control
  15. hand — in cards
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. roll — a list
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — a division
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hand — part of the body

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