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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: branch · hide · pound · calf · squash · sharp · shower · charge

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. squash — to crush
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. charge — electricity
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. branch — a division
  11. charge — a price
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. shower — rain
  17. sharp — clever
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. shower — to wash
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. charge — in control

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