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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. charge — electricity
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — steady
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. firm — decided
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. firm — a company
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. branch — a division
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — to bend
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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