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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: content · charge · squash · race · spell · straw · calf · branch

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. charge — a price
  3. spell — letters
  4. branch — a division
  5. content — the amount
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. content — happy
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. race — a contest
  14. charge — electricity
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. race — humankind
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. spell — magic
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. race — the arms race
  24. content — videos and posts

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