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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cue — a hint
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cue — a signal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rule — government
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — army training
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — a law
  24. pass — to spend 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