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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. charge — electricity
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. roll — a cake
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — to rob
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — to get on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. roll — a list
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. patient — a sick person
  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