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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — hurry
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. lean — to bend
  8. charge — in control
  9. game — wild animals
  10. net — for catching
  11. game — a match
  12. net — in sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. staff — employees
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — thin
  23. charge — electricity
  24. staff — a stick

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