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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rule — a law
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bark — to shout
  24. perch — for a bird

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