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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bear — the animal
  5. foot — a measure
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rock — a stone
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. land — a country
  14. clip — for paper
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. land — ground
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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