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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — ground
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. land — to come down
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mug — a cup
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mug — to rob
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cap — of ice
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. land — a country
  24. bear — to put up with

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