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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: calf · wound · charge · foot · branch · pitcher · temple · bound

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bound — certain
  3. wound — an injury
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. branch — a division
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. charge — in control
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — electricity
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. charge — a price
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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