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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. suit — clothes
  5. ground — the earth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. suit — in cards
  11. perch — the fish
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. suit — to fit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to tire
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rule — government

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