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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: pitcher · branch · charge · rest · press · pop · lash · nail

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — electricity
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. press — to push
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — in control
  11. pop — music
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. branch — a division
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pop — soda

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