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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bank — for money
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ball — a great time
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to click
  17. land — a country
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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