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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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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 · kick · wound · charge · pound · arm · rash · present

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. present — there
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rash — a series
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — a division
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — in control
  15. rash — hasty
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. present — the time now
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kick — in football
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — a gift
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. kick — with a leg

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