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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 · fine · rash · spring · staff · calf

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fine — high quality
  5. charge — a price
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spring — the season
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fine — all right
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — electricity
  15. spring — of water
  16. staff — employees
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rash — a series

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