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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. tear — from crying
  13. charge — in control
  14. object — an aim
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — a thing
  17. row — a line
  18. object — to protest
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. row — to paddle
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — to rip
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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