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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pop — soda
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — a grade
  14. game — a match
  15. rest — a break
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. game — a kind of play
  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