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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · deal · plane · press · rush · kick · charge · branch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — a division
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. charge — in control
  10. kick — in football
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. charge — a price
  14. press — to push
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. plane — a tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. trunk — 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