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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
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: fall · branch · face · charge · bore · pass · band · squash

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fall — to drop
  4. face — to point toward
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — a division
  7. fall — the season
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — to crush
  10. face — to confront
  11. fall — to drop
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — the sport
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. charge — a price
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — to tire
  24. band — a ring

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