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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — there
  5. net — after costs
  6. present — the time now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — boats
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. net — for catching
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. net — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — government
  18. present — a gift
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cabinet — ministers

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