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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: suit · charge · branch · snap · chest · craft · coach · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. suit — clothes
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. suit — in cards
  9. face — to point toward
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. charge — a price
  13. suit — to fit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. charge — in control
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. charge — electricity
  24. branch — a division

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