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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rash — hasty
  7. net — after costs
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bound — certain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bound — tied together
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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