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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 116 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. dip — to sink
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rule — government
  10. cap — of ice
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — a hat
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — size or range
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rule — a law
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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