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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: deal · branch · bass · spell · temple · foot · lean · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lean — thin
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. charge — a price
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — a short time
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bass — low music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. branch — a division
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lean — to bend
  24. temple — a place of worship

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