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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wound — an injury
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. craft — boats
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. charge — in control
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitch — a sports field

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