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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rock — music
  9. rule — government
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — a stone
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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