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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — a country
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. land — ground
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. board — to get on
  10. mug — to rob
  11. land — to come down
  12. drill — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. drill — army training
  23. mug — a cup
  24. board — a flat piece

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