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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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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: press · fall · charge · net · nail · branch

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. net — after costs
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fall — to drop
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. press — to push
  11. branch — a division
  12. charge — electricity
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — the season
  17. net — in sport
  18. nail — on a finger

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