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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cold — not warm
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cold — an illness
  10. land — a country
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rule — a law
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pass — a permit
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. branch — a division

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