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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a hint
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. charge — in control
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chest — a box
  12. field — for sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. field — farmland
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. field — a subject
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. cue — a signal
  24. charge — a price

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