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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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Word bank
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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: calf · land · key · sharp · leaves · rule · bore · season

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — ground
  4. bore — to tire
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. land — a country
  8. rule — government
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. season — in sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. key — for a lock
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. land — to come down
  24. bore — to drill

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