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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: rock · snap · trunk · charge · chair · bore · branch · field

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. snap — to click
  9. field — farmland
  10. branch — a division
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rock — music
  14. field — for sport
  15. bore — to tire
  16. field — a subject
  17. charge — in control
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. charge — a price
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. charge — electricity

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