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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rash — hasty
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rule — government
  22. rash — a series
  23. rule — a law
  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