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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. pop — soda
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. face — part of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. firm — a company
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. land — a country
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. can — to be able to
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. cabinet — ministers

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