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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 116 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: lash · present · charge · mug · saw · branch · racket · fall

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mug — a face
  4. branch — a division
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. charge — in control
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mug — to rob
  9. charge — electricity
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — the time now
  12. charge — a price
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mug — a cup
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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