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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. swing — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. file — a document
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rule — a law
  13. file — a line of people
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. swing — in golf
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. file — a tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rule — government
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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