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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — government
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — a law
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — to go on
  16. squash — the sport
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — finally
  20. fall — the season
  21. degree — an amount
  22. squash — to crush
  23. last — final
  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