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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. charge — a price
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mark — a trace
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. charge — electricity
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chest — a box
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — in control
  24. shower — rain

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