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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
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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 · branch · stick · row · hand · cold · rush · vault

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — in cards
  3. charge — electricity
  4. row — to paddle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. charge — a price
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. row — a line
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cold — not warm
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cold — an illness
  19. hand — help
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — in control
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. branch — a division

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