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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. file — a document
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. rule — a law
  13. bass — low music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bass — the fish
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rule — government
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bear — the 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