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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: spring · nail · rush · branch · charge · saw · trunk · race

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. race — a contest
  3. branch — a division
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. race — humankind
  9. spring — the season
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rush — hurry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. charge — a price
  21. spring — a coil
  22. race — the arms race
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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