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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rule — government
  9. lean — thin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — a thing
  13. rule — a law
  14. object — to protest
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. object — an aim

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