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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. saw — the tool
  8. date — the fruit
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. charge — in control

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