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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.

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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: tube · branch · face · bound · charge · trunk · wax · mate

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. mate — a friend
  4. branch — a division
  5. tube — the underground
  6. face — to confront
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. charge — electricity
  9. face — part of the head
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mate — a partner
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wax — to grow
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — a container
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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