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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.

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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: snap · charge · firm · calf · bore · chair · mine · fall

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fall — the season
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fall — to drop
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bore — to drill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. charge — in control
  23. firm — a company
  24. charge — a price

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