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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: charge · staff · plane · stock · wake · branch · tube · row

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tube — a container
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. staff — employees
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stock — shares
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. staff — a stick
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — a tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. branch — a division
  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