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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: calf · chest · bay · saw · mouse · charge · mark · clip

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. charge — electricity
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. clip — a video
  14. chest — of your body
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. charge — in control
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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