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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fall — the season
  4. land — ground
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — wild animals
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. game — a match
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. fall — to drop
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. fall — to drop
  24. arm — part of the body

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