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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: charge · band · trunk · net · temple · branch · spell · pitcher

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. band — a ring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. net — in sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. net — after costs
  9. charge — a price
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. net — for catching
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. branch — a division
  17. spell — a short time
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. band — a music group

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