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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: cell · calf · mine · nail · field · bay · charge · prune

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. charge — a price
  4. field — farmland
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cell — in biology
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — in control
  18. field — a subject
  19. charge — electricity
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. field — for sport
  24. calf — of the leg

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