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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: branch · bowl · fine · fan · saw · wax · charge · rule

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wax — to grow
  12. branch — a division
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rule — government
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. charge — a price
  24. saw — the tool

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