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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. net — in sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. net — for catching
  16. craft — boats
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rule — government

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