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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. degree — temperature
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. degree — an amount
  14. row — a line
  15. fall — to drop
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rule — a law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fall — the season
  23. row — to paddle
  24. calf — a young animal

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