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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — thin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. land — a country
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. club — a group
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lean — to bend
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kick — in football
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — to come down

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