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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: rule · ground · calf · last · bark · fall · ruler · snap

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. last — to go on
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. bark — to shout
  14. snap — to click
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fall — the season
  21. rule — a law
  22. last — final
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. last — finally

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