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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rash — a series
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. land — ground
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. land — to come down
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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