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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cold · bear · march · charge · season · calf · arm · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. march — the month
  3. cold — not warm
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. march — the month
  8. season — of the year
  9. march — music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. arm — a part of something

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