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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. can — a tin

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