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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: face · charge · shower · branch · trunk · rush · calf · rest

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. branch — a division
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — a price
  17. face — to confront
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. charge — electricity
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. shower — rain
  23. charge — in control
  24. branch — 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