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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: leaves · object · mark · charge · content · wound · chest · branch

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — a price
  6. mark — a trace
  7. content — the amount
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. content — happy
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — to protest
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chest — a box
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mark — a grade

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