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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — in control
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lean — thin

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