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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 116 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mug — a face
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mug — to rob
  6. land — a country
  7. mug — a cup
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. can — a tin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — government
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. land — to come down
  19. degree — an amount
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rule — a law
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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