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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: stick · leaves · charge · drill · content · cabinet · file · calf

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. content — happy
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. charge — a price
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. drill — a practice
  15. file — a tool
  16. content — the amount
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. file — a document
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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