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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: tube · branch · fork · kick · clip · stem · bass · charge

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tube — a container
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. clip — a video
  13. branch — a division
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — in control
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. kick — in football
  23. fork — in a road
  24. charge — a price

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