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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rule — a law
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lean — thin
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. net — for catching
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — government
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. net — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — a stick

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