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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. pit — a hole
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. shower — rain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. band — a ring
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a music group
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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