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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.

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: rule · lash · cabinet · calf · land · cap · fine · march

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. land — ground
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fine — high quality
  15. march — the month
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — all right
  19. land — to come down
  20. rule — a law
  21. cap — a lid
  22. march — the month
  23. land — a country
  24. fine — a penalty

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