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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — a country
  4. mug — a face
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. face — to confront
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wind — moving air
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. tube — a container
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. object — an aim
  17. tube — the underground
  18. land — to come down
  19. saw — the tool
  20. object — to protest
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mug — a cup

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