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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 · club · cabinet · calf · spring · row · rash · ball

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spring — of water
  9. club — for dancing
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ball — a dance
  13. club — a group
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. club — for golf
  20. row — a line
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spring — a coil

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