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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: charge · press · march · branch · rush · nail · scale · wave

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. scale — in music
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rush — hurry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. charge — electricity
  14. press — a publisher
  15. branch — a division
  16. scale — size or range
  17. press — to push
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. march — the month

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