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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · court · rush · mate · charge · row · cold · safe

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. charge — electricity
  5. row — a line
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cold — not warm
  10. charge — a price
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. court — of law
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — for sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. row — to paddle
  19. charge — in control
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. court — of a king

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