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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. season — in sport
  3. shower — to wash
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — in football
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. season — of the year
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. shower — rain
  21. deal — to handle
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. season — to add flavour

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