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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · charge · calf · game · spell · pit · nail · object

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spell — letters
  3. object — an aim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spell — magic
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. game — wild animals
  18. object — to protest
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a match
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — in a race
  23. object — a thing
  24. game — a kind of play

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