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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — a division
  5. suit — in cards
  6. land — ground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. land — a country
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — in control
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. clip — to cut
  18. land — to come down
  19. mug — a cup
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fan — to cool the air

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