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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: jam · rest · wind · rule · sharp · calf · bear · field

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — a subject
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rule — government
  17. field — farmland
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. field — for sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wind — to turn a key

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