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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · mine · straw · game · hide · charge · arm · spell

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — magic
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. game — wild animals
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — letters
  21. mine — for digging
  22. branch — a division
  23. game — a match
  24. hide — animal skin

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