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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. toast — bread
  8. row — a line
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rest — a break
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — electricity
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pop — to visit
  19. charge — a price
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pop — soda
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rest — what's left

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