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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rule — a law
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rule — government
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bore — to drill
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. suit — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. suit — clothes

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