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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · land · trunk · current · tear · cell · jam · leaves

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. tear — to rip
  7. land — ground
  8. current — electric
  9. cell — in biology
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. land — a country
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. land — to come down
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. tear — from crying
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. branch — a division
  23. current — of water
  24. jam — in traffic

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