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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: season · prune · bank · land · patient · lash · branch · charge

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. charge — a price
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — electricity
  6. land — ground
  7. bank — for money
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. land — to come down
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. season — in sport
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. land — a country
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — a division
  24. charge — in control

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