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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: track · season · charge · cell · calf · face · fan · ball

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. season — of the year
  3. face — to confront
  4. cell — a phone
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. track — a path
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — a song
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. charge — in control
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — a price
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — part of the head
  21. charge — electricity
  22. track — to keep track
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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