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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bound — certain
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stock — shares
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bound — tied together
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. snap — to click
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bound — obliged
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. calf — of the leg
  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