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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: bulb · branch · leaves · hand · game · face · bore · charge

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — a price
  7. face — to point toward
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. face — part of the head
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — for light
  17. face — to confront
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hand — in cards
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. game — a match
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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