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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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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: land · trunk · branch · firm · kick · rock · charge · saw

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. firm — a company
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. land — to come down
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. charge — electricity
  11. land — a country
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. charge — in control
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. firm — steady
  16. land — ground
  17. firm — decided
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — a stone
  24. trunk — of a tree

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