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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: cue · pitcher · charge · content · calf · foot · shower · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cue — for pool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. content — happy
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cue — a hint
  13. content — the amount
  14. lean — thin
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cue — a signal
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. charge — a price
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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