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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 · nail · charge · hide · wake · saw · ball · chair

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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. chair — a professorship
  4. ball — a great time
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chair — a leader
  11. charge — in control
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. charge — a price
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wake — a trail

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