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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. roll — a cake
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — government
  9. roll — a list
  10. rash — hasty
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rule — a law
  24. snap — to click

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