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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a ring
  3. rule — government
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. rule — a law
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. net — after costs
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lean — thin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lean — to bend
  22. band — a music group
  23. mark — a trace
  24. calf — of the leg

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