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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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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: lie · club · cell · charge · spring · mate · calf · leaves

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — a coil
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. charge — electricity
  10. spring — the season
  11. charge — in control
  12. lie — to recline
  13. spring — of water
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. club — for dancing
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mate — a friend
  22. club — for golf
  23. cell — a phone
  24. charge — a price

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