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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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 — to rule out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rule — government
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rule — a law
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bass — the fish
  23. last — final
  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