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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: nail · can · chip · wax · charge · branch · bass · press

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bass — low music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. press — to push
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. can — to be able to
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — a division
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. can — a tin
  24. chip — in a computer

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