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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. kid — child
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mug — a face
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pit — a hole
  8. band — a music group
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. band — a ring
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rule — a law
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fine — all right
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pit — in a race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — high quality

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