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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: swing · march · jam · charge · calf · staff · cell · saw

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — in biology
  5. march — the month
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. swing — in golf
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — electricity
  14. march — the month
  15. staff — employees
  16. march — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. staff — a stick
  20. swing — music
  21. charge — in control
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. calf — a young animal

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