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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · charge · stem · squash · chair · content · wax · branch

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — a division
  3. mate — to breed
  4. charge — in control
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. charge — a price
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stem — to come from
  10. charge — electricity
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. mate — a friend
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — a partner
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chair — a leader

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