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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: can · charge · trunk · spring · stand · branch · track · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — to keep track
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. can — a tin
  5. stand — to bear
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. can — to be able to
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — in control
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — electricity
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. track — a song
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. charge — a price
  24. track — a path

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