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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 · drill · tear · branch · object · ruler · ground · charge

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. charge — electricity
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. charge — a price
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ground — a position
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. object — to protest
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. drill — the tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. object — a thing
  17. ground — the earth
  18. branch — a division
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. object — an aim
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — in control
  24. drill — army training

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