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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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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: charge · fan · wind · calf · degree · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. charge — in control
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — a price
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wind — moving air

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