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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — a country
  4. season — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — ground
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — part of the head
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. face — to confront
  16. season — of the year
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. face — to point toward
  21. land — to come down
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fall — to drop

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