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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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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: charge · rule · tube · branch · kid · snap · cap · current

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rule — a law
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. kid — child
  6. rule — government
  7. tube — the underground
  8. snap — to click
  9. current — happening now
  10. charge — in control
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. charge — electricity
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. current — of water
  17. charge — a price
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. current — electric
  22. tube — a container
  23. kid — to tease
  24. branch — of a tree

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