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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. chip — to eat
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. land — ground
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — all right
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mug — a face
  17. face — to confront
  18. land — a country
  19. march — the month
  20. mug — to rob
  21. land — to come down
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — part of the head

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