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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: branch · nail · foot · band · wave · fan · straw · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. band — a music group
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. charge — in control
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. foot — a measure
  12. band — a ring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — a division
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. charge — electricity
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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