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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kick — in football
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. charge — a price
  15. mate — a partner
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mug — to rob
  21. file — a tool
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mug — a cup

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