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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 116 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: leaves · charge · hand · fan · present · bark · stand · trunk

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. present — there
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. charge — a price
  5. hand — in cards
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. present — the time now
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stand — to bear
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. present — a gift
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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