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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 116 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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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — clothes
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. staff — a stick
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. suit — in cards
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — a price
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wind — moving air
  23. game — wild animals
  24. staff — employees

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