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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. court — of law
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stand — to bear
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rule — a law
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. court — of a king
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. content — happy
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. court — for sport
  22. content — the amount
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. calf — a young animal

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