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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. suit — in cards
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. board — to get on
  11. rule — a law
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — a division
  16. spell — magic
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — from crying
  19. land — ground
  20. tear — to rip
  21. suit — to fit
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rule — government
  24. spell — a short time

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