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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. season — in sport
  10. court — for sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mate — a partner
  17. season — of the year
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. court — of a king
  23. face — to confront
  24. court — of 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