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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: trunk · game · saw · branch · arm · charge · hide · chair

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. charge — in control
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. charge — a price
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — wild animals
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chair — a leader
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — a match
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. charge — electricity
  24. saw — the tool

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