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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 · stand · branch · cue · plane · ground · press · wake

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. press — newspapers
  5. charge — electricity
  6. press — a publisher
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wake — a trail
  16. branch — a division
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. press — to push
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cue — a signal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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