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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: stem · lie · rule · rest · stand · calf · roll · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stem — to come from
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. game — a match
  7. rule — a law
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rule — government
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — a break
  18. game — wild animals
  19. roll — a list
  20. stand — to bear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rule — to rule out
  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