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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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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: lash · charge · wake · fall · cap · branch · march · key

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wake — a trail
  8. march — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — for a lock
  11. march — the month
  12. fall — the season
  13. cap — a lid
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — to drop
  22. branch — a division
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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