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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mine — for digging
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rule — a law
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stand — to bear
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. charge — a price
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. kick — in football
  19. rule — government
  20. kid — child
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. degree — from a university
  24. kid — to tease

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