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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. row — a line
  3. suit — clothes
  4. net — for catching
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rule — a law
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. net — after costs
  10. kick — in football
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. race — the arms race
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. net — in sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. row — to paddle
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. race — humankind
  22. rule — government
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. race — a contest

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