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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. game — a match
  3. rule — a law
  4. scale — in music
  5. march — the month
  6. rule — government
  7. game — wild animals
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. chest — a box
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. march — music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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