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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cell — a phone
  6. march — the month
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — the month
  10. object — a thing
  11. charge — in control
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. charge — a price
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cell — in biology
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ground — the earth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — music
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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