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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 120 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. kid — child
  11. branch — a division
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. row — a line
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. charge — in control
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. row — to paddle

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