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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. net — in sport
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. net — for catching
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — government
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rule — a law
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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