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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 116 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: branch · craft · cabinet · wound · charge · press · spell · drill

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. charge — in control
  3. press — a publisher
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — magic
  9. craft — a skill
  10. charge — a price
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — the tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. branch — a division
  19. spell — letters
  20. drill — army training
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. press — to push

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