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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.

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: staff · leaves · rule · present · calf · bear · shower · ground

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. staff — employees
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ground — crushed
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. staff — a stick
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. ground — a position
  13. staff — employees
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. present — a gift
  22. shower — rain
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — the 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