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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: squash · kick · branch · net · mine · fork · lean · charge

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. charge — a price
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — in control
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. lean — thin
  22. net — after costs
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — electricity

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