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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 124 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. key — in music
  7. staff — employees
  8. land — to come down
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. land — a country
  11. rule — government
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rush — hurry
  16. key — the most important part
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mine — for digging
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. land — ground

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