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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 120 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: net · present · season · file · fan · charge · shower · branch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. present — the time now
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. charge — in control
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a line of people
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — after costs
  17. file — a document
  18. season — in sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — a gift
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — there
  23. season — of the year
  24. file — a tool

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