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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 116 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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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: calf · branch · fork · rest · charge · racket · spell · nail

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — letters
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. charge — in control
  12. rest — what's left
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — magic
  16. branch — a division
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spell — a short time
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. charge — a price

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