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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lean — to bend
  3. game — a match
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. land — to come down
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bound — certain
  16. land — ground
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lean — thin
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bay — a horse colour

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