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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.

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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: charge · shower · land · face · bear · branch · press · mate

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mate — a friend
  3. press — newspapers
  4. land — a country
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. mate — to breed
  8. press — to push
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. face — to point toward
  12. charge — electricity
  13. shower — to wash
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. shower — rain
  24. charge — in control

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