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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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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 · land · toast · bat · branch · tear · kick · nail

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — a price
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. bat — the animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. branch — a division
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tear — to rip
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. charge — electricity
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. toast — bread
  23. land — to come down
  24. tear — from crying

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