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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: can · rule · chair · roll · calf · leaves · court · face

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — a law
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. court — of law
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. roll — a list
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — a cake
  16. face — to point toward
  17. court — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — government
  20. court — of a king
  21. chair — a leader
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. face — to confront
  24. roll — on a roll

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