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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. shower — to wash
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cue — for pool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — a hole
  14. net — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. staff — employees
  20. rule — government
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cue — a hint
  23. shower — rain
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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