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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · land · branch · lean · wave · pit · coach · charge

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lean — thin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. land — a country
  8. wound — an injury
  9. land — to come down
  10. branch — a division
  11. charge — in control
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pit — a hole
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — to bend

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