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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. net — for catching
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — a law
  8. capital — a city
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rule — government
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cell — a phone
  24. net — after costs

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