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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. field — for sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — in control
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. field — a subject
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — farmland
  23. charge — a price
  24. branch — a division

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