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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: branch · charge · wave · wax · field · pound · press · fan

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. field — for sport
  10. charge — a price
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — to grow
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — in control
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. field — farmland
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. press — to push
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — a subject
  23. pound — a weight
  24. branch — a division

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