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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. net — after costs
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. last — finally
  5. bound — obliged
  6. net — for catching
  7. last — to go on
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. last — final
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. net — in sport
  19. rule — government
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rule — a law
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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