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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: bulb · rash · branch · staff · charge · chest · snap · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chest — a box
  3. object — an aim
  4. chest — of your body
  5. charge — a price
  6. rash — hasty
  7. snap — to click
  8. chest — of your body
  9. staff — employees
  10. object — to protest
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. charge — electricity
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — a division
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — a stick

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