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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: file · wave · mate · object · capital · calf · charge · date

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. file — a document
  4. object — to protest
  5. capital — a city
  6. object — an aim
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. object — a thing
  9. mate — a friend
  10. charge — a price
  11. capital — money
  12. date — the fruit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. file — a tool

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