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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. spring — a coil
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. land — a country
  5. branch — a division
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — to come down
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. land — ground
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — of water
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ground — a position
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ground — the earth
  24. nail — on a finger

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