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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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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: cold · fine · clip · rule · saw · suit · calf · rock

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rule — government
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. saw — the tool
  10. clip — for paper
  11. cold — an illness
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cold — not warm
  14. clip — a video
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rule — a law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. calf — a young animal

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