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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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468
Word bank
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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cold — not warm
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cold — an illness
  13. charge — a price
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — to rob

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