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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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468
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: safe · mate · bass · charge · cold · cell · calf · pitcher

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — a partner
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — in control
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cell — a phone
  21. charge — a price
  22. cold — not warm
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — the instrument

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