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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rule — government
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rock — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — a law
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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