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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 · staff · calf · lean · bowl · track · fall · bat

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lean — to bend
  4. charge — electricity
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fall — the season
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bat — the animal
  19. track — a song
  20. lean — thin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. staff — employees
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. track — a path

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