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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: charge · spell · present · bat · fan · calf · foot · hand

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. spell — letters
  3. hand — help
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. foot — a measure
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. present — there
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. hand — in cards
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  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