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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stock — shares
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — a division
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. charge — in control
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stock — goods
  20. charge — a price
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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