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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.

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: charge · lie · stick · saw · calf · toast · ground · field

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — in control
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — a price
  10. field — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. field — farmland
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — a position
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — bread
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — electricity

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