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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 116 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 · track · ball · leaves · file · bound · kid

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bound — certain
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ball — a great time
  5. file — a line of people
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a path
  11. kid — to tease
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bound — tied together
  15. file — a document
  16. kid — child
  17. track — a song
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. file — a tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bound — obliged

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