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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 120 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: mark · arm · rest · object · can · calf · season · charge

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — a grade
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. charge — electricity
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. charge — in control
  20. object — to protest
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — a price
  24. can — a tin

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