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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: stem · charge · branch · press · rash · mouse · spell · shower

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. spell — a short time
  13. press — newspapers
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — a series
  16. press — to push
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. shower — rain

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