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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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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: last · object · ruler · fall · stick · club · charge · calf

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. club — for golf
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — in control
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. object — to protest
  8. club — for dancing
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — an aim
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fall — the season
  14. last — final
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fall — to drop
  17. last — to go on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. charge — electricity
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. last — finally
  22. club — a group
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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