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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 120 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: pop · lie · calf · bay · charge · mouse · wave · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. charge — a price
  3. pop — soda
  4. cold — not warm
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. charge — in control
  16. pop — music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. lie — an untruth

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