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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · object · calf · mate · charge · root · jam · drill

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — a partner
  5. root — the cause
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. object — a thing
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. root — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. object — to protest
  13. mate — to breed
  14. charge — in control
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — a price
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — a friend
  24. jam — in traffic

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