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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
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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: season · rule · foot · board · toast · leaves · swing · calf

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. foot — a measure
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. swing — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. toast — bread
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. board — a committee
  14. rule — a law
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — in sport
  22. swing — in golf
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. calf — a young animal

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