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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — high quality
  3. capital — money
  4. fine — all right
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rule — a law
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. capital — a city
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. leaves — lets stay

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