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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: present · branch · squash · drill · calf · charge · key · chest

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. key — for a lock
  4. squash — to crush
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. key — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. present — the time now
  15. drill — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chest — a box
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. present — there
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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