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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — a price
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — for digging
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — in control
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. game — a match

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