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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: kick · fall · calf · charge · pitcher · spell · nail · perch

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. charge — electricity
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — a price
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — a short time
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spell — letters
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spell — magic
  19. charge — in control
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — the season
  23. kick — in football
  24. perch — the fish

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