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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · mouse · lean · wind · cabinet · march · band · charge

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. band — a ring
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. charge — a price
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lean — thin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — a division
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. march — the month
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lean — to bend

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