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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — in cards
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hand — help
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — for sport
  15. rule — government
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — a law
  20. court — of law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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