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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 116 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: board · mouse · fall · drill · stem · squash · branch · charge

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stem — to come from
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fall — the season
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. board — to get on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. branch — a division

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