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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wind — moving air
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — a box
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — to get on
  20. rule — government
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wind — moving air

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