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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 116 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 · row · file · race · calf · lie · rest · content

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. content — the amount
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — to recline
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. file — a document
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — a price
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — humankind
  19. content — happy
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. file — a tool
  23. row — a line
  24. content — videos and posts

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