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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rule — a law
  7. field — for sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. last — to go on
  11. rule — government
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pass — a permit
  16. field — farmland
  17. bulb — for light
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. field — a subject
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. last — final

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