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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. last — final
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. last — finally
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tear — to rip
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. club — for dancing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rash — a series
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — government
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rule — a law
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. band — a music group
  22. club — a group
  23. last — to go on
  24. club — for golf

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