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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — ground
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. foot — a measure
  17. can — to be able to
  18. land — to come down
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wind — moving air
  21. land — a country
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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