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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — government
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rule — a law
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fine — all right
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fine — high quality
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — thin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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