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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wake — a trail
  6. net — after costs
  7. land — to come down
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. present — there
  10. net — for catching
  11. land — a country
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. net — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. season — of the year
  17. mate — a partner
  18. present — the time now
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mate — to breed
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. present — a gift
  24. season — in sport

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