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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — government
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. last — finally
  10. rash — a series
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rule — a law
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. leaves — lets stay

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