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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.

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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: mug · current · branch · last · spring · chest · charge · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chest — a box
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. last — to go on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mug — to rob
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. spring — the season
  10. branch — a division
  11. last — finally
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spring — of water
  14. mug — a face
  15. spring — a coil
  16. charge — a price
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chest — of your body
  19. last — final
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — in control
  22. mug — a cup
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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