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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — ground
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rest — a break
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. land — to come down
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bound — obliged
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stand — on your feet

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