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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. object — a thing
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bound — tied together
  12. land — ground
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lean — thin
  15. land — to come down
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chest — a box
  18. bound — obliged
  19. object — to protest
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — certain
  23. chest — of your body
  24. calf — a young animal

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