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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: wave · branch · file · shower · face · mouse · pitcher · charge

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. branch — a division
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — in control
  7. file — a line of people
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. charge — electricity
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. charge — a price
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. file — a tool
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. file — a document
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitcher — a jug

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