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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bore — to tire
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rule — a law
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to click
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. land — ground
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. calf — of the leg

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