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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: charge · lie · bulb · patient · trunk · chest · branch · present

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. present — the time now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — in control
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chest — of your body
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. present — a gift
  10. chest — a box
  11. branch — a division
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. charge — a price
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. present — there
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — a sick person

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