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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. charge — electricity
  3. capital — a city
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. hand — help
  6. club — a group
  7. hand — in cards
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. capital — money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. charge — a price
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. club — for dancing
  16. charge — in control
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. club — for golf
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rest — what's left

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