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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.

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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: branch · kick · charge · rest · land · wound · can · fine

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. land — to come down
  3. rest — a break
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fine — all right
  6. can — to be able to
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. land — a country
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — a price
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wound — an injury
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. land — ground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — in control
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rest — what's left
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. can — a tin

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