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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: root · arm · charge · field · calf · land · stand · tear

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tear — to rip
  5. land — a country
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stand — to bear
  8. charge — electricity
  9. land — to come down
  10. field — farmland
  11. charge — in control
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tear — from crying
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — ground
  18. root — the cause
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. charge — a price
  23. root — of a word
  24. field — for sport

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