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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: charge · arm · tube · branch · fork · calf · patient · jam

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tube — a container
  3. fork — in a road
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — a price
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. charge — in control
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. branch — a division
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. branch — of a tree

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