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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: charge · branch · press · bound · shower · net · wax · face

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wax — to grow
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. branch — a division
  7. charge — electricity
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bound — tied together
  11. charge — in control
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. press — a publisher
  18. net — for catching
  19. shower — rain
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. charge — a price
  22. bound — obliged
  23. face — to confront
  24. bound — certain

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