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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — ground
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. land — a country
  9. pop — to visit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. land — to come down
  14. face — to confront
  15. pop — music
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. face — to point toward
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stand — for spectators
  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