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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: dip · board · charge · wake · nail · cell · wave · branch

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. charge — electricity
  6. board — to get on
  7. charge — in control
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. charge — a price
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wake — a trail
  18. board — a committee
  19. cell — in biology
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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