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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cell — in biology
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rash — a series
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. charge — a price
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cell — a phone
  17. charge — in control
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rock — music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rock — to move gently

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