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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: wound · object · cap · branch · mine · wake · ball · charge

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — in control
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wound — an injury
  7. branch — a division
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — a price
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wake — a trail
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — of ice
  18. object — a thing
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. object — to protest
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cap — a lid

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