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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.

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: cold · ruler · track · calf · charge · cell · season · fan

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. track — a path
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. season — in sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — a song
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cold — an illness
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. season — of the year
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cell — in biology
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ruler — for measuring

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