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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cell — a phone
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cap — a lid
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bass — low music
  15. craft — boats
  16. rule — a law
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rule — government
  20. stand — to bear
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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