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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fall — to drop
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. land — to come down
  10. fall — the season
  11. shower — rain
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. club — a group
  19. land — a country
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. fall — to drop

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