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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: ground · pass · branch · hide · stem · face · charge · mine

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ground — a position
  4. mine — for digging
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ground — crushed
  12. face — to confront
  13. branch — a division
  14. charge — in control
  15. pass — a permit
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ground — the earth
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hide — to keep secret

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