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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. land — a country
  5. march — music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — ground
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. march — the month
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. land — to come down
  20. bound — certain
  21. pit — in a race
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cell — a phone
  24. deal — to handle

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