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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. march — the month
  8. mine — for digging
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. roll — a list
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. roll — a cake
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — music
  15. rule — government
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. march — the month
  20. branch — a division
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rule — a law
  24. calf — of the leg

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