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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. dip — to sink
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. land — ground
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — to dunk

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