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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — government
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. track — a path
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wake — a trail
  12. last — finally
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. capital — money
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. track — a song
  19. last — final
  20. capital — a city
  21. track — to keep track
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rule — a law

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