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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 · calf · foot · hand · charge · sharp · content · mouse

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. charge — in control
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — a measure
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. branch — a division
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — help
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. foot — part of the body

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