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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cell — a phone
  6. row — a line
  7. current — electric
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — happening now
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — of ice
  17. current — of water
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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