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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 120 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: bark · can · branch · charge · tear · root · cell · fall

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — a price
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — the cause
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fall — the season
  15. root — of a word
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cell — in biology
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bark — to shout

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