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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. firm — a company
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — steady
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fall — the season
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rule — government
  11. firm — decided
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. squash — the vegetable

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