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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: lash · charge · calf · toast · club · stock · cap · cell

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cell — in biology
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. charge — electricity
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — a price
  16. club — a group
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — in control
  22. club — for golf
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stock — shares

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