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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: charge · bat · calf · cabinet · rule · kid · cap · patient

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — in control
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kid — child
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — a law
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bat — the animal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. charge — a price
  22. rule — government
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bat — for baseball

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