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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: calf · charge · last · firm · bank · rest · mouse · land

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. last — to go on
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — a price
  7. land — a country
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. firm — a company
  11. bank — of a river
  12. land — to come down
  13. last — finally
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — steady
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. last — final
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. firm — decided
  21. charge — in control
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rest — a break
  24. land — ground

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