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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. firm — steady
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. firm — decided
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — hasty
  12. land — to come down
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — a country
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. firm — a company
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. land — ground
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rash — a series
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. court — for sport

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