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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pop — soda
  4. chest — a box
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — a country
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — to come down
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. march — music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. march — the month
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pop — music
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — a young animal

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