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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: coach · charge · staff · present · branch · sharp · fork · lie

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. branch — a division
  3. staff — employees
  4. charge — a price
  5. fork — in a road
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — there
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — a stick
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — in control
  18. present — the time now
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. present — a gift
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fork — a garden tool

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