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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: game · wake · charge · chip · plane · board · wave · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — in control
  11. game — a match
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. board — to get on
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chip — for betting
  18. charge — a price
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wake — a trail
  24. plane — an aircraft

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