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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: cold · land · stand · cell · bound · staff · calf · charge

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. charge — in control
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cell — a phone
  5. staff — a stick
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — to bear
  8. land — ground
  9. bound — obliged
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. bound — certain
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. staff — employees
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. charge — a price
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — tied together

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