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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 116 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 · bound · charge · mate · swing · tear · kick · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tear — to rip
  3. swing — to play on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. swing — music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — a division
  8. mate — a partner
  9. kick — in football
  10. tear — from crying
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. charge — a price
  13. bound — certain
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. charge — in control

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