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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · charge · kick · branch · prune · foot · mug · bark

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. branch — a division
  6. spring — a coil
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — a measure
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. charge — in control
  13. spring — the season
  14. mug — a cup
  15. charge — electricity
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — a price
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. kick — in football
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spring — of water
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. kick — a thrill

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