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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — the cause
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mine — for digging
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. march — music
  14. root — of a plant
  15. march — the month
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. game — a match
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. root — of a word
  24. march — the month

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