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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 · press · fall · rash · cap · branch · file · nail

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cap — a hat
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — a price
  5. cap — of ice
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rash — a series
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — a publisher
  17. branch — a division
  18. press — to push
  19. cap — a lid
  20. file — a document
  21. fall — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. press — newspapers

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