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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bound — obliged
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rule — a law
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. content — the amount
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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