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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rule — government
  7. mug — a face
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rule — a law
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitch — completely
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bat — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rest — what's left

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