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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. charge — a price
  4. club — a group
  5. cell — a phone
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — a trail
  8. snap — to click
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. charge — electricity
  23. club — for golf
  24. cell — in biology

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