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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. band — a ring
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. land — a country
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a music group
  10. charge — electricity
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. charge — a price
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. snap — to click
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. charge — in control

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