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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: plane · branch · charge · drill · chip · band · lie · row

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chip — for betting
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lie — to recline
  5. charge — a price
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. charge — in control
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. band — a ring
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. band — a music group
  16. chip — to eat
  17. row — a line
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. charge — electricity

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