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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: wave · charge · branch · content · club · leaves · staff · race

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — in control
  6. race — a contest
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. content — happy
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. club — a group
  13. race — the arms race
  14. staff — employees
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. staff — a stick
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. content — the amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. race — humankind

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