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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 124 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kid — child
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cue — for pool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. kid — to tease
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rule — government
  13. cue — a hint
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — of a word
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. board — to get on
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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