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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 120 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — electricity
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cold — an illness
  6. stock — shares
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stock — goods
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mate — to breed
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. vault — a safe
  24. charge — in control

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