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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: rock · calf · rule · wind · coach · march · rash · squash

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. squash — to crush
  6. march — the month
  7. rash — a series
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — a law
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. march — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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