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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. capital — money
  6. toast — bread
  7. charge — in control
  8. fall — the season
  9. rest — a break
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rule — government
  20. cell — in biology
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rule — a law
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cell — a phone

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