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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. land — ground
  3. bat — the animal
  4. land — a country
  5. bass — low music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. land — to come down
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hand — help
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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