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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 120 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. board — to get on
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. board — a committee
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rule — government
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rule — a law
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — the tool

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