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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fall — the season
  6. charge — in control
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. net — after costs
  10. charge — a price
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — in sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — all right
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — employees

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