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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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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. rule — a law
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. court — of law
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. court — of a king
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. court — for sport
  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