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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: net · branch · drill · charge · board · vault · roll · wax

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. drill — a practice
  4. charge — in control
  5. drill — army training
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wax — to grow
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. roll — a cake
  13. charge — a price
  14. roll — a list
  15. board — a committee
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. board — to get on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. drill — the tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. net — in sport

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