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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: row · charge · spring · calf · rash · march · board · bass

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. spring — a coil
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. charge — electricity
  5. row — a line
  6. charge — a price
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. spring — of water
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — the month
  12. spring — the season
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bass — low music
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. bass — the fish
  20. row — to paddle
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. board — a committee

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