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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: rush · charge · mate · wound · bowl · branch · tube · roll

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. roll — a list
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rush — hurry
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wound — an injury
  18. charge — a price
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. charge — in control
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bowl — to roll

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