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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: kick · rule · bear · cold · deal · bay · mug · calf

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cold — an illness
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mug — a face
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. kick — in football
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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