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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 120 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: pop · leaves · dip · charge · last · mate · calf · cold

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pop — music
  6. mate — to breed
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pop — to visit
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. charge — a price
  18. pop — soda
  19. cold — an illness
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mate — a friend
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cold — not warm
  24. last — to go on

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