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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rule — a law
  4. kid — child
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kid — to tease
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rule — government
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. capital — a city
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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