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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. last — final
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pop — soda
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. last — to go on
  15. pop — music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. charge — a price
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. hand — in cards
  21. face — part of the head
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. charge — electricity

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