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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · calf · lean · season · bear · mug · chair · row

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. row — a line
  9. season — of the year
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rule — a law
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — government
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lean — thin

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