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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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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: face · race · wax · branch · calf · plane · shower · charge

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. charge — a price
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. shower — to wash
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. face — to point toward
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. face — part of the head
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. race — a contest
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. shower — rain
  22. charge — electricity
  23. plane — a tool
  24. face — to confront

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