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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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. foot — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — a price
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — government
  10. saw — the tool
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. band — a music group
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lean — thin
  17. clip — a video
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. clip — for paper
  20. band — a ring
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rule — a law

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