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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 120 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: branch · hide · deal · perch · swing · degree · charge · trunk

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — to play on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. degree — from a university
  5. swing — in golf
  6. perch — the fish
  7. charge — a price
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — electricity
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — temperature
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. degree — an amount
  15. branch — a division
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. deal — to handle
  18. charge — in control
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. swing — music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hide — to keep secret

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