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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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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: charge · lash · jam · band · last · branch · drill · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. drill — the tool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. band — a music group
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. board — a committee
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. last — to go on
  14. drill — army training
  15. band — a ring
  16. last — finally
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. charge — in control
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. drill — a practice
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. last — final
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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