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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: date · pop · board · charge · press · roll · face · branch

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. pop — soda
  5. branch — a division
  6. pop — to visit
  7. date — the fruit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. press — to push
  10. face — part of the head
  11. charge — in control
  12. press — newspapers
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. roll — a list
  16. charge — electricity
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. face — to confront
  19. roll — a cake
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. charge — a price
  24. press — a publisher

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