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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: pass · wound · charge · lie · wave · shower · branch · bound

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. charge — a price
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — a permit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bound — tied together
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. shower — rain
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bound — certain
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — an untruth

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