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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. charge — in control
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — a price
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. branch — of a tree

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