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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: mug · wind · race · ball · charge · lean · calf · present

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — a price
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. lean — thin
  8. present — a gift
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. charge — in control
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. race — a contest
  18. ball — a dance
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. race — the arms race
  24. charge — electricity

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