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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. court — of a king
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. court — for sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pit — in a race
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. court — of law
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — to trim
  21. perch — the fish
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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