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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. charge — electricity
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rush — hurry
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. charge — in control
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  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