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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rule — government
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rule — a law
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bound — obliged
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. row — a line
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stand — on your feet

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