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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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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: fall · stem · bear · branch · charge · wound · drill · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wound — an injury
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. charge — in control
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cold — not warm
  22. charge — electricity
  23. branch — a division
  24. fall — to drop

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