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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stock — goods
  4. kick — in football
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spring — the season
  8. stock — shares
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — government
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rule — a law
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bass — low music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spring — of water
  24. last — final

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