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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. squash — the sport
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. charge — in control
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. squash — to crush
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. lash — to lash out

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