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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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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 · degree · last · bay · rest · charge · chest · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. degree — temperature
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — electricity
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. last — to go on
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rest — a break
  24. degree — from a university

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