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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: trunk · lean · branch · season · fine · chip · kid · fan

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chip — to eat
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fine — all right
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. season — of the year
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. branch — a division
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. season — in sport
  24. kid — child

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