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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 120 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: charge · face · spring · calf · rock · row · lean · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spring — of water
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — music
  6. charge — in control
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — the season
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. row — a line
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cue — a signal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — to paddle
  21. face — to confront
  22. rock — a stone
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cue — for pool

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