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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. charge — electricity
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. shower — to wash
  11. charge — in control
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — rain
  20. file — a line of people
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — a price
  24. fan — a supporter

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