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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: rule · charge · shower · kick · calf · mate · chair · bay

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. charge — a price
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rule — government
  14. mate — to breed
  15. charge — in control
  16. kick — in football
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chair — a leader
  24. shower — rain

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