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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. charge — a price
  3. tear — to rip
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a music group
  14. kick — in football
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — from crying
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lie — to recline
  19. charge — electricity
  20. scale — size or range
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a ring

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