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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · rule · rest · calf · tear · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rest — a break
  9. rule — government
  10. tear — to rip
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret

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