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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rule — government
  7. field — a subject
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bound — certain
  20. plane — a tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rule — a law

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