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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fine — all right
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. last — finally
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rule — government
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. capital — money
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — a city
  19. last — to go on
  20. rule — a law
  21. tear — to rip
  22. last — final
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. tear — from crying

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