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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.

Words on the sheet
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: chest · calf · charge · rest · bear · season · cabinet · fan

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — electricity
  3. season — of the year
  4. charge — in control
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rest — a break
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — ministers

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