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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: bore · date · calf · land · lean · stand · charge · content

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. content — the amount
  6. lean — to bend
  7. content — happy
  8. land — a country
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bore — to tire
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bore — to drill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. date — the fruit

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