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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · cell · spring · rule · rock · calf · wound · jam

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. spring — of water
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rock — music
  8. rule — government
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rock — a stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pop — to visit
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. spring — the season

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