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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. charge — electricity
  3. present — a gift
  4. pop — soda
  5. charge — in control
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. roll — a list
  8. pop — to visit
  9. roll — a cake
  10. shower — rain
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pop — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — there
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. present — the time now

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