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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 120 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lean — thin
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. net — for catching
  14. land — a country
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bear — the 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