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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. land — ground
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wind — moving air
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — a break
  11. wind — moving air
  12. drill — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — a country
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — army training
  21. season — of the year
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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