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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: march · charge · leaves · branch · present · row · wound · pass

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. march — music
  3. present — a gift
  4. charge — in control
  5. march — the month
  6. present — the time now
  7. charge — electricity
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. present — there
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. march — the month

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