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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. shower — rain
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. plane — a tool
  6. face — to point toward
  7. charge — electricity
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. shower — to wash
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — in sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. face — to confront
  19. row — a line
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. season — of the year
  22. charge — in control
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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