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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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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: suit · rest · pit · game · saw · fall · calf · cabinet

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rest — what's left
  12. suit — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fall — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — a break
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. cabinet — ministers

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