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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. charge — electricity
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. charge — in control
  10. row — to paddle
  11. charge — a price
  12. object — a thing
  13. firm — a company
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. season — in sport
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — a line
  24. calf — of the leg

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