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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
468
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: mate · chair · charge · saw · toast · branch · bore · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. row — a line
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. charge — electricity
  15. toast — bread
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. branch — a division
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mate — a partner

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