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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: wave · last · deal · season · branch · charge · current · mark

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. current — of water
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. charge — electricity
  5. last — to go on
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. last — final
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. charge — in control
  15. last — finally
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. season — of the year
  18. charge — a price
  19. current — happening now
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — to handle
  23. current — electric
  24. deal — an agreement

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