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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.

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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. file — a tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — a short time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — letters
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spell — magic
  16. charge — a price
  17. kid — to tease
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a document
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. charge — electricity
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rash — hasty

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