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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.

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 · calf · branch · tube · charge · file · swing · racket

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. file — a tool
  4. swing — in golf
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. branch — a division
  8. charge — in control
  9. tube — the underground
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — a container
  12. file — a line of people
  13. squash — the sport
  14. swing — music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. file — a document
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. swing — to play on
  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