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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. staff — employees
  3. bore — to tire
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chest — of your body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. staff — employees
  11. chest — of your body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rule — a law
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rule — government
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chest — a box
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wake — a trail

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