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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 · saw · rock · court · drill · patient · trunk · branch

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rock — a stone
  7. charge — a price
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — the tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — of a king
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. drill — a practice
  17. court — of law
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. drill — army training
  20. court — for sport
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. charge — in control
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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