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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — government
  7. net — after costs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stem — to come from
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. shower — rain
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. net — in sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rule — to rule out

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