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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: pitcher · craft · branch · charge · patient · calf · trunk · lie

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. craft — boats
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — a price
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — a division
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a skill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — to recline
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. branch — of a tree

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