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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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. ground — a position
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ground — the earth
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. tube — a container
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. tube — the underground
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. tube — in a tire

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