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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. roll — a cake
  10. drill — a practice
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — to go on
  15. drill — the tool
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. charge — in control
  23. roll — a list
  24. prune — to trim

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