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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: stand · fan · row · fine · calf · snap · rule · march

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. row — a line
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. march — music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. march — the month
  23. rule — a law
  24. fan — a supporter

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