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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: clip · root · board · wave · charge · court · calf · safe

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. court — for sport
  5. charge — a price
  6. board — to get on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. court — of law
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. clip — to cut
  12. charge — electricity
  13. board — a committee
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. root — of a plant
  16. clip — for paper
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. court — of a king
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. root — the cause
  24. wave — of the sea

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