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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. file — a tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — a law
  9. file — a document
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bound — tied together
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rule — government
  15. charge — in control
  16. bound — certain
  17. charge — electricity
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bound — obliged
  20. charge — a price
  21. sharp — clever
  22. row — a line
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. row — a quarrel

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