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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · bay · plane · calf · charge · clip

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. clip — to cut
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. charge — a price
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. charge — electricity
  13. plane — a tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. clip — for paper
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. clip — a video

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