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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: land · calf · lash · cap · coach · charge · mine · snap

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. land — to come down
  3. charge — in control
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — ground
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — a country
  12. charge — a price
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. mine — for digging
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — of ice
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mine — an explosive

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