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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. mug — to rob
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — a container
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cap — a hat
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — a face
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. land — ground
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. tube — the underground
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mug — a cup

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