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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 120 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fine — all right
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lie — to recline
  19. land — a country
  20. rush — hurry
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — ground

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