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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: swing · snap · lean · bore · branch · mug · mine · charge

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mine — for digging
  3. swing — in golf
  4. charge — electricity
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mug — a cup
  7. swing — to play on
  8. charge — a price
  9. lean — thin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. snap — to click
  14. bore — to tire
  15. swing — music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. charge — in control
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. branch — a division
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mug — a face
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bore — to drill
  24. lean — to bend

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