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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: branch · sharp · object · kid · date · foot · charge · wake

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. foot — a measure
  3. branch — a division
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. date — the fruit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — an aim
  15. kid — child
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. charge — electricity
  20. object — a thing
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. object — to protest
  23. charge — in control
  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