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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. present — the time now
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — to recline
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. march — the month
  7. present — a gift
  8. staff — a stick
  9. present — there
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. charge — in control
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. staff — employees
  22. charge — a price
  23. march — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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