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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: charge · nail · press · club · calf · plane · cell · fork

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. press — to push
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cell — a phone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. charge — in control
  12. club — a group
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. club — for golf
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. club — for dancing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cell — in biology
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. calf — a young animal

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