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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 116 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: lie · calf · court · staff · pound · charge · season · cell

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cell — in biology
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. staff — employees
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. staff — a stick
  16. season — in sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lie — to recline
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. charge — a price
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — of a king

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