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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.

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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: kid · game · stand · key · rest · charge · calf · ruler

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. key — for a lock
  6. game — a match
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. game — wild animals
  11. charge — a price
  12. kid — child
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. charge — in control
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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