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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. vault — a safe
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. land — ground
  12. rule — government
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. land — a country
  18. rule — a law
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. land — to come down

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