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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: roll · mug · calf · leaves · rock · charge · jam · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — a cake
  4. charge — electricity
  5. roll — a list
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. charge — a price
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. tear — from crying
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mug — a cup
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — from crying

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