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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fall — the season
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bound — certain
  9. mine — for digging
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rule — government
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. row — a line
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rest — a break

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