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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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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. band — a ring
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fall — the season
  9. band — a music group
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — a price
  16. season — in sport
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. charge — in control
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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