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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. key — the most important part
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. land — a country
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. staff — employees
  15. key — in music
  16. land — to come down
  17. cell — in biology
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. rule — a law
  24. land — ground

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