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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — to come down
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. can — a tin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fine — all right
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. land — ground
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. land — a country
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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