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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.

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: lean · jam · branch · chest · race · mouse · charge · wound

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. race — a contest
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. wound — an injury
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lean — to bend
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lean — thin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. race — humankind
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chest — of your body
  22. race — the arms race
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mouse — 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