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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. net — in sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. march — music
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rule — government
  18. march — the month
  19. shower — rain
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. shower — to wash

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