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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 120 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: calf · fall · wake · charge · march · spell · wind · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — in control
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. march — the month
  6. wind — moving air
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wind — moving air
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fall — the season
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. march — music
  16. spell — letters
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — a short time
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fall — to drop

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