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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 116 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: charge · stand · rest · game · tear · calf · march · rule

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. march — the month
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stand — to bear
  9. march — music
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rule — a law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — a match
  17. rule — government
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — in control
  23. rest — what's left
  24. march — the month

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