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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. land — a country
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. race — humankind
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bark — to shout
  11. roll — a list
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. land — ground
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — a cake
  19. race — the arms race
  20. land — to come down
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. race — a contest
  24. cell — in biology

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