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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. land — to come down
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. land — ground
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. land — a country
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bat — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bulb — for light

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