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

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — a short time
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — in control
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. charge — a price
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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