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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. charge — electricity
  5. file — a document
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. charge — a price
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. file — a tool
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. scale — size or range
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. row — a line
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. file — a line of people
  24. kick — with a leg

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