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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. press — a publisher
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. press — newspapers
  9. band — a music group
  10. wound — an injury
  11. shower — to wash
  12. band — a ring
  13. charge — a price
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — rain
  22. press — to push
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wound — an injury

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