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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.

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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: last · charge · swing · land · foot · row · bear · calf

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. last — to go on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. charge — a price
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bear — the animal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. land — to come down
  15. swing — to play on
  16. land — a country
  17. foot — a measure
  18. charge — electricity
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. last — final
  22. land — ground
  23. swing — music
  24. charge — in control

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