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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cap — a lid
  9. file — a document
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — of ice
  13. last — to go on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cap — a hat
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. last — finally
  19. charge — a price
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — in control
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a tool

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