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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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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: charge · branch · band · press · toast · tear · kid · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. charge — in control
  4. tear — to rip
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. tear — from crying
  10. band — a music group
  11. branch — a division
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. charge — electricity
  16. press — to push
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. charge — a price
  21. press — a publisher
  22. tear — from crying
  23. toast — bread
  24. press — newspapers

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