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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: charge · branch · clip · coach · tear · bulb · press · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. roll — a cake
  6. charge — electricity
  7. press — newspapers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. charge — a price
  11. clip — a video
  12. tear — from crying
  13. clip — to cut
  14. branch — a division
  15. press — to push
  16. roll — a list
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — in control
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. clip — for paper
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tear — from crying

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