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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hand — in cards
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. land — a country
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rock — a stone
  9. land — to come down
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. hand — help
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bound — certain
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bound — obliged

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