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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — all right
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rule — a law
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fine — high quality
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rule — government
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rush — to hurry

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