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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. bass — low music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the fish
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. net — after costs
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. sharp — clever
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rest — what's left

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