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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. kick — in football
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rule — a law
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. file — a document
  8. pop — soda
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. file — a tool
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rule — government
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pop — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — with a leg

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