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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. firm — decided
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. rule — a law
  8. pop — soda
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. clip — a video
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pop — to visit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. clip — for paper
  22. firm — a company
  23. rule — government
  24. temple — side of the head

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