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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 124 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mine — for digging
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — a price
  13. squash — to crush
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. charge — electricity
  16. branch — a division
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chip — in a computer

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